Variety has confirmed chilling rumours that Universal was planning to remake The Thing - a project described as a "re-imagining" of the classic which first hit the big screen in 1951 and resurfaced in John Carpenter's excellent 1982 adaptation.

The rehash is, as were the first two outings for The Thing, based "heavily" on the John W Campbell Jr's 1938 short story Who Goes There, which tells the tale of how a shape-shifting alien made short work of the occupants of a snow-bound Norwegian camp.

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We can't help but feel this latest example of Hollywood's abject failure to come up with fresh ideas is best summed up by a line from the 1982 movie, viz: "You gotta be fucking kidding."

Here's another quote for the benefit of Universal: "I dunno what the hell's in there, but it's weird and pissed off, whatever it is." Yes, that'd be a John Carpenter fan at the rehash's premiere, make no mistake.

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